Rural Indian Women Achieving The Impossible

Over the years the urban areas of India have seen the fair share of development. There are various reasons behind this development that includes an abundance of resources, various employment opportunities, acceptance of the change, etc. On the other side, some of the rural parts of India are still struggling for the basic amenities in their everyday life left alone the developmental changes. The prime sufferer of the absence of facilities is women in these areas. But now with the availability of education, technology and financial support of the government in the rural India, women are recognising their social rights and moving steadily towards achieving their goals. Some of the brave women in rural areas have made developmental changes for themselves and the society.

Nauroti Devi

Nauroti Devi hails from a Dalit family in the Kishangarh district of Rajasthan. She was the Sarpanch of Harmada Village in Jaipur, Rajasthan. In her youth, Nauroti Devi fought for the demand of equal wages when she worked as a stone-cutter on a road construction site. She participated in the RTI campaign in Rajasthan that led to the foundation of the RTI Act passed by the Union Government. During her term of service as Sarpanch, Nauroti Devi also fought against the liquor mafia in Harmada and reoccupied the land allocated for government health centre. Nauroti Devi, who never went to school in her childhood days learnt to use the computer for village administration after being appointed as a Sarpanch.

Kalpana Saroj

Kalpana Saroj, one of the successful Indian women entrepreneurs, went through a lot in her tender years and married life. She was born in a Dalit family, who got married at the young age of 12 and suffered physical abuse by her husband’s family. After being rescued from her husband in Mumbai, she moved back to her village to live with her family. She also attempted to commit suicide after being shunned by the villagers. But somehow she composed herself and went back to Mumbai where she started working in a garment factory to support her family. Later, with the help of government loan, she started her tailoring business and then a furniture store. Kalpana Saroj was also awarded the Padma Shri in 2013.

Dalimi Patgiri

Dalimi Patgiri hails from the interiors of Assam, who irrespective of the poor rural living conditions took a step forward and moved towards the path of success. To emerge from the poverty and provide a helping hand to her husband, Dalimi started making utensils by using areca nut sheets for raw materials. By taking this huge step, she motivated other women of the village to follow her footsteps.

D Jyothi Reddy

From working as a rural agricultural labour in the fields of Warangal, who used to earn Rs. 5 per day to becoming the CEO of Key Software Solutions in the USA, Jyothi Reddy has come a long way. Due to extreme poverty, she couldn’t continue her education after high school and got married at the age of 16. Jyothi Reddy continued her struggle to emerge from the poverty and provide the better living condition for her kids. Today her company in the USA has around 100 employees, and she is a perfect role model to all the women in the world.

Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad

Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad also known by the name ‘Lijjat’ is an Indian women’s cooperative that manufactures consumer goods. Lijjat is the business initiated by the group of seven women from Mumbai to create a sustainable livelihood. The motive of Lijjat is to empower women in rural areas by providing them with employment opportunities. In today’s date, more than 40,000 women are employed in the various branches of Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad.

All these personalities are a source of great inspiration for the women across the country. They fought for their rights and emerged as a winner in the end. We all must learn from their struggle and follow their footsteps towards making a difference in the world.